Knitting-machine.



' APPL IOATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

F. ROLSTON.

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. F. ROLSTON.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY14, 1909.

Patented Apr. 25,1911.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY14, 1909.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

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W. P. ROLS'ION. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED my L4, 1909.

990,595, I Patented Apr. 25, 1911. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER F. ROLSTON, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BURSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, 'WALTE F. RoLsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of lVinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means for increasing the length of tubular knitting without changing the mechanism usually employed,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a knitting machine to which I have applied my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an elevation and partly in section of some of the parts comprising my improvements. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on dotted line a Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dog depressing bar. Fig. 7 is a top view of the pivoted bars supporting the fingers, and their supports. tion on dotted line b 0 Fig. 8. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the star toothed wheel, the dog for moving it, and a section of large toothed wheels. Fig. lO 'is an elevation partly in section of the table levers and their connections. Fig. '11 is an elevation, partly in section of the pattern levers and their connections. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the table. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one of the table levers. Fig. 1 1 is a face representation of the mutilated worm. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of one of the pivoted sections of the mutilated worm.

The knitting machine shown in the drawings to which I have applied my improve: ments is of a well known construction, as to such I lay no claim, and is shown in the drawings" in order that the relation of my improvements thereto may be seen. This machine is of the straight variety in which two needle beds 1 and 2 are supported by the base 3, cam slides 4 and 5 therefor are reciprocated by the rocking arm 6 connected thereto by the links 7. To the rocking arm (3 is pivoted a bar 8 and its other end is pivoted to the spur gear 9 connected to the shaft 10. The rotations of this spur gear 2 will through the bar 8, oscillate the rockmgarm 6, and through'the links 7 the cam Fig. 5 shows in perspective the toothed wheels and the plates between them;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal secslides arev reciprocated. The needle beds support needles (not shown) in the usual manner which is wellunderstood.

The spur gear 9 is rotated by the spur pinion 11 meshing therewith, and the shaft 12 to which the spur'pinion is connected isrotated by a belt or other connection with the line shaft or other motive power. The shaft 12 is supported in bearings 13 connected to the bed of the machine.

Two pattern drums, 14 are employed one for the needles of each needle bed. The pattern drums are connected to rotate in opposite directions by the spur gears 15 and 16 being in mesh, and the spur gear16 is driven by the spurpinion 17 connected to the shaft 18 which is supported in bear ings 19 connected to the bed of the machine. To the shaft 18 is secured a worm wheel 20. To the shaft 10 is secured a mutilated worm 21 having a flange 22'extending from its periphery. This flange is not continuous but on opposite sides of'the worm are pivoted cam sections 23 and 24 in a. manner to swing laterally ofv the flange. As the mutilated worm'is constantly r0- tating, if the cam-slides 23 and 24 were always in line with the flange 22, the worm wheel 20 would always stand still, consequently the pattern devices would remain at rest, but should the cam sections 23 and 24 be moved laterally, they would each force the worm wheel ahead one tooth, thereby imparting a partial rotation to the pattern drums for the purpose of throwing needles in or moving them out'of action according to whether widening or narrowing is taking place. These cam sections are moved out of or into alinelnent with the flange by movable fingers and a neutralizing 'finger to be described.

The back plate 25 is supportedby the bed of the knitting machine, and it supports a stud 26 upon which is mounted a face plate 27. Between these plates are located a series of ratchet toothed plates 28, each having a number of teeth cut away leaving a blank space 29 Fig. 5. Between two of the ratchet toothed plates are located two diaphragm plates 30 and dog carrying plate 31. At Fig. 5 is shown the ratchet toothed plate 28 with a stud 32 extending from itsinner face and the diaphragm plate 30 has a notch 33 in its periphery. The

dog supporting plate 30 is provided with peripheral notches 34 within any one of which may be located the pin 35 extending from theunder face of which depend projections 38 one for. each of the dog carrying plates, and located in the path of the movement of' the dogs 36. This bar 37 can be rocked by means of the lever 39 to move the projections free of the dogs should it be necessary to adjust the positions of some of the dogs thatmay be beneath the projections.

A table 40 is pivotally located over the ratchet toothed wheels and is formed with a projection 41 having a recess 42 inits upper face, anda verticalportion 43 extending from the upper face of the table. Beneath the table 40 are located pattern levers 44 and a series of table levers 45. These levers are double ended and adapted to be rocked as their ends enter the recess 46 in, and projections 47 extending from the pattern plates 48. The pattern levers are formed with an upwardly extending projection 49 which pass through openings 50 in the table 40 adjacent to the projection 43. The table levers 45 are formed with a rest 51 at one end of the table 40.

To the frame 52 are pivoted two controlling arms in the form of bars 53 and 54, their free ends supporting fingers 55 and 56 respectively which extend downward therefrom. To. these pivoted bars 53 and 54 are pivotally connected lifters 57 and 58 respectively, the lower end of each supporting "a. stud 59and 60 respectively. The stud 59 of the lifter 53 is located in the slotted upper end of one of the pattern levers 44, and the stud 60 of the other'lifter 58 is located in a corresponding slot in the other pattern lever. As the pattern levers are rocked, the lifters 57 i and 58 will be raised thereby raising the pivoted bars 53 and 54, and when the pattern levers are rocked in the opposite direction, the lifters will drop, thereby al lowing the pivoted bars to drop.

To the frame 52 'is pivoted a bar 61 from one end of which extends a stud 62 which is located in the groove 63 of the cam 64 secured to and rotatable with the shaft 10. As this cam rotates,"the bar 61 will be oscillated back and forth. To this bar 61 is pivoted a yoke 65 having ears 66, and between these ears are located a pattern pawl 67, and two counting pawls 68 and 69 are pivoted on the stud 70, passing through the ears 66.

Thepattern pawl 67 engages the teeth of the inside ratchet toothed plate 28, the counting pawl 66 engages the teeth of the next four ratchet toothed plates, and the counting pawl 69 engages the teeth of the two outside ratchet toothed plates.

As the plate 61 is oscillated, a reciprocating movement will be imparted to the pawls far enough to engage a new tooth of the ratchet toothed plates.

In starting the machine, the blank spaces in all of the ratchet toothed plates are turned in line with the pawls so that the pawls can move without engaging the teeth of any of the plates. The inner ratchet toothed plate is moved until a tooth therefor is presented so that the pattern pawl will engage it. This toothed plate is intermittently rotated until a dog 36 contacts with the stud 32 extending from the next toothed plate, thereby moving the plate until the pawl engages a tooth, after that this plate is intermittently rotated. The first plate will cease to rotate when the blank space in its teeth passes under its pawl. The other toothed plates are started and stopped in the same manner, until the outer plate is about ready to stop. The table 40 has been held elevated by all of the table levers to start with, and as each of the toothed plates cease rotating, 1ts table lever will drop and cease to'support the table. When the table lever for the outer toothed plate moves, the table will drop, which allows the pawl 67 to drop into engagement with the teeth of the inner toothed plate, when the operation will be repeated.

The rod 71 forms a connection between the table and pattern pawl 67 through which the pattern pawl is held elevated clear of the teeth of the inner toothed plate, and when thetable 40 drops, the spring 72 attached to the pawl 61 and its other end resting against the frame 52,;will force the pawl downward so that it will engage the teeth of the inner toothed plate. The table 40 is employed to start the inner plate just before the outer laterally so as to form a cam surface which 120 will engage a tooth of the worm wheel 20, thereby moving the worm wheel one tooth. The neutrahzlng finger 74 serves to return the cam sections into alinement with the M l..o

finger 22 of the mutilated worm.

A spring 75 has one end connected to the frame 52 and its other end rests on the upper edge of the pivoted bars 53 and 54. and some to hold the bars down in a yielding manner. I lay no claim to the mechanism thus far described, but my. improvements have to .do with such mechanism as I will now describe. As the spring 75 exerts a downward action on the pivoted bars 53 and 54, and they in turn exert a downward pressure on the pattern levers, there is considerable wear between the pattern levers and the projections which operate upon them while the levers are being moved. I propose to remove the downward pressure of the spring and the weight of thelever. This I accomplish by a movable support in the form of a pivoted bar 76, Fig. 4C, having a projection 77 which receives the pivoted bars'53 and 54. To the shaft 10 is secured an eccentric 78 on which the bar 76 rests, as this eccentric rotates, the bars 53 and 54 will be held elevated and permitted to drop. As the eccentric 78 makes one rotation each time the pawl 68 is reciprocated, the eccentric is so set on the shaft 10 that it will lift the bars 53 and 5 1 just before'the; pattern leverset are moved in order that the weight of the levers and the pressure of the spring 75 will be removed from the pattern levers. When the bars 53 and 5e are held elevated by the pattern levers, the

eccentric will rotate beneath the bars with toothed toothed wheels, and as heretofore stated, the.

length of tubular work wouldbe equal in courses to the number of teeth in these wheels. I have devised means whereby the length of tubular work can be increased many more courses.

As before stated, a tooth in the counting ratchet toothed plates equal a course or round of knitting, I propose to allow these wheels or any number thereof to remain at rest while one or more courses of tubular knitting is taking place, so that if the toothed wheels remain stationary for every other course, the length of tubular knitting will be doubled.

To the outside plate 27 I pivot a star toothed wheel 79 which has some of its teeth as at 80 very short while the other teeth as at 81 are longer.

From the pawl 69 extends a side pro ection 82 which overlies the teeth of the star toothed wheel 79. As the pawl reciprocates this plunger 82 will engage the teethpf the star toothed wheel, when this pro ectlon enters a deep notch the pawl will also engage a tooth in either of the two outer toothed wheels, according to which one is being intermittently rotated, so that the star toothed wheel and the larger toothed wheel will move in unison. Whenthe projection 82 of the pawl 69 engages a short tooth it will carry the pawl 69 over the top of a tooth in the larger toothed wheel thereby allowing the larger toothed Wheel to remain stationary. The larger toothed wheels will remain stationary each time ashort tooth is encountered by the projection 82, and if necessary, all the teeth in the star toothed wheel could be short with the exception of one, which will allow the larger toothed wheel to move one tooth to each revolution of the star toothed wheel.

'ing means that detachably engages and is operated by the lever, and automatic means for normally holding the device out of such engagement except durlng an operative .movement of the pattern lever.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination with a rotatable pattern plate having depressions, of a pattern lever that enters 'the depressions and'is thereby rocked, pattern mechanism operating means, a swinging controlling arm, a device carried by the arm and detachably engaging the lever, and automatic means that engages the arm for disengaging the device from the lever except during an operative movement of saidlever.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination with a rotatable pattern plate having depressions, of a pattern lever that enters the depressions and is thereby rocked, pattern mechanism operating means, a swinging controlling arm, a device carried, by the arm and detachably engaging the lever, a movable support for the arm, and a rotary cam that engages the support for moving the same and swinging the arm to carry the device out of engagement with the lever and permitting its movement into engagement with the lever during an operative move- 4. In a knitting machine, the combination with pattern mechanism, of means for,

transmitting motion to the pattern mechanism, a drive shaft, an operating device operated by the drive shaft for imparting movement to the means, a controlling member for the operating device, operating mechanism for intermittently moving the controlling member, a support for holding the controlling member independent of its 0 crating mechanism during the inactivity o the controlling member, and an eccentric mounted on the drive shaft and engaging the support for moving the same to and from a position to hold said controlling member.

motion transmittingmutilated worm for imparting movement to the worm wheel, said worm being mounted on the drive shaft, a controlling; arm for the mutilated Worm, a pattern lever for v swinging the arm, rotating means for actuating the lever, a pivoted bar for supporting the arm independently of the pattern lever, and an eccentric mounted on the drive shaft and engaging the arm for swinging the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER F. ROLSTOV.

lVitnesses: A. O. BEHEL, E, D.- E. N. BEHEL. 

